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Long Words
Long Words
Long Words
Origins: While the word originated in 19th century Britain, it is now used to refer to any opposition to a government
withdrawing support from a religious organization. Though rarely used in casual conversation, the word was featured
in the Duke Ellington song, “You’re Just an Old Antidisestablishmentarianist.”
Floccinaucinihilipilification (Flocci—nauci—nihili—pili-fication)
Origins: This word stems from the combination of four Latin words, all of which signify that something has little
value: flocci, nauci, nihili, pilifi. This style of word creation was popular in Britain in the 1700s.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
(Pneumo—noultra—microscopic—silico—volcano—conio--sis)
Definition: an invented word said to mean a lung disease caused by inhaling a fine dust
Origins: This word emerged in the late 1930s, and was said to be invented by Everett K. Smith, president of the
National Puzzlers’ League, in an imitation of very long medical terms. It is not found in real medical usage.
Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism(Pseudo—pseudo—hypo—para—thyroid--ism)
Origins: This genetic disorder causes “short stature, round face and short hand bones,” according to the National
Institutes of Health. Despite having a similar name, it is not the same as pseudohypoparathyroidism.
Psychoneuroendocrinological (Psycho—neuro—endo—crino--logical)
Definition: of or related to the branch of science concerned with the relationships between psychology, the nervous
system, and the endocrine system
Origins: This term was first seen in the 1970s in Journal of Neurological Science, a medical journal.
Sesquipedalian (Sesqui--pedalian)
Origins: Roman poet Horace used this term to caution young poets against relying on words with large number of
letters.
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
(Hippo—poto—monstro—sesqui—pedalio--phobia)
Fun Fact: It is most often used in humorous contexts. It is a formal extension of the word sesquipedalophobia,
Incomprehensibilities (In—compre—hensi--bilities)
Fun Fact: In the 1990s, this word was named the longest word in common usage.
Uncopyrightable (Un—copy--rightable)
Fun Fact: This word is one of the longest isograms (a word that does not repeat letters) in the English language.
Dermatoglyphics (Dermato--glyphics)
Definition: the scientific study of hands, including fingerprints, lines, mounts, and shapes
Fun Fact: This study is based on science and often used in criminology to identify both perpetrators and victims.
Euouae (You—a—you—e)
Fun Fact: While this word might not look as impressive as others on this list, it’s the longest word in the English
language to be composed entirely of vowels. (It's also the word with the longest string of vowels.)
Psychophysicotherapeutics (Psycho—physico—thera--peutics)
Definition: a therapeutic approach that integrates both the mind and body
Fun Fact: While the Oxford Dictionary does not provide an official definition of this word, it is included on their list
of the longest words in the English language.
Otorhinolaryngological (Oto—rhino—laryngo--logical)
Definition: of or relating to the medical specialization involving the ear, nose, and throat
Fun Fact: This medical specialization is more commonly known by its acronym, ENT.